


Is Your Heart Still Beating?

by Clea2011



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Humans, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Clones, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mail Order Brides, Not for Remix - safe work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-04-24 05:16:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4906906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clea2011/pseuds/Clea2011
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur could definitely afford to buy a pretty toy for himself.  And this toy was very pretty indeed. <br/>A sort of but not quite Humans au.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Is Your Heart Still Beating?

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Merlin Trope bingo square 'Mail order bride/groom' and the HC bingo square 'loss of vision'.  
> Not betaed as the Trope bingo challenge ends tonight.

Arthur had been sitting at his desk for hours, searching for his perfect partner.

It was internet dating, in a way, except the partner was made to order. And the catalogue of companions was vast. It was just as well it was online, because there was absolutely every type of look in there. Tall, short, dark, fair, slender, muscular… it went on. And there was the promise that certain models could be tailored to order.

Those were the robots, of course. They were fascinating to look at, but Arthur wasn’t really after one of those. It was the clones, the new human substitutes, those were what he was looking for. Grown in a lab, an empty shell with an electronic brain, any one of them would be perfect for what he needed.

“Find yourself a wife,” his father had said. “Something decorative to hang on your arm at functions. God knows, you’re coming across like one of those robot things yourself, the way you live.”

“It would be a husband,” Arthur corrected, not for the first time. His father just waved a hand, dismissive.

“Whatever. Just do it. You’re young, try to behave like it occasionally.”

It was a sorry state of affairs, Arthur realised, when your own father said something like that. But Arthur had a career, he was working day and night, no time for dating. If his father wanted him to take over his company, he couldn’t expect Arthur to have spare time too.

It was too much trouble as well, all the business of finding a partner. The disastrous first dates, the disappointment of the ones who lasted longer than one date and turned out to be awful in some hidden, hideous way, and the ones who seemed wonderful but just weren’t into him. And so, going through the catalogue was perfect. And if he took a clone then his father would never know.

He was about to call it a night, when he found him. Dark-haired, blue-eyed, pale-skinned, with cheekbones that could cut glass and ears that stuck out a little too much. Somehow that tiny imperfection actually made him seem more desirable. The man’s face stared back at him from the screen. Arthur thought that perhaps his smile didn’t seem as wide as the others. There was something about his expression, haunted almost.

Not _his_ expression. This was a clone, an it, and he would have to keep remembering that. Flesh and blood, yes, but the consciousness was entirely mechanical. Amazing technology, and it was reflected in the price. But then, Arthur could afford it. His father’s company had developed a successful range of the robots. Not as profitable as the clones were becoming, but enough to make Uther Pendragon a billionaire, with Arthur as his sole heir. Arthur could definitely afford to buy a pretty toy for himself. And this toy was very pretty indeed.

He only hesitated for a moment, then pressed ‘Add to cart.’ After all, if it didn’t work out he could send it back for recycling and get a partial refund too. And Arthur didn’t need the money.

\---

His name was Jacob according to the paperwork that arrived with him. The delivery men left him just inside the door, had Arthur sign for him, then went away again.

The clone stood perfectly still, breathing but static as it had not yet been activated. There was a certain sequence of words Arthur had to speak, and then it would be bound to him. First though, he looked it over. To all intents and purposes it looked like a young man, every bit as attractive as the online picture had been. There was even a heartbeat, which combined with the breathing and the lack of movement was a little unnerving.

“Time to wake you up then, Jacob,” Arthur murmured. He unsealed the codewords and read them out clearly.

Jacob immediately took a huge gulp of air, then another. He looked panicked, backing away from Arthur.

“Where am I?”

Arthur was sure that wasn’t how they were supposed to react.

“You’re in my flat. I bought you.”

“Oh god!” Jacob stared at him for a moment, then away, looking to the door. “I need to get out of here. I need to get home!” He ran for the door, then gave a gasp of pain as soon as he touched the handle, and doubled over, clutching his head. “Hurts! What have you done?”

That was definitely not how they were supposed to react. Arthur was more familiar with the robots, those being his father’s business after all, but he knew the clones were programmed in a similar way.

“I haven’t done anything,” Arthur protested. “You were obviously trying to escape. I think there’s some sort of block.” Even as he said it, he thought how bad that sounded. But these were clones. Why would they want to run away? “There’s obviously something wrong, I’m going to switch you off and…”

“No!” Jacob almost screamed at him. “No! Please don’t do that! Please! You don’t know what it’s like, you can’t see, you can’t move! Please!” He tried to open the door, but again this hurt him. Arthur could see his eyes welling up.

That wasn’t right. The clones weren’t supposed to cry, not unless they’d been given some sort of sick programming. And Arthur definitely hadn’t ordered that. The man… no, the clone… he had to remember that. It was a clone, not a human being. The clone was visibly distressed. There had obviously been a mistake. Perhaps this one had been programmed for someone with a cruel streak. Arthur didn’t want to think about what sort of person would buy a simulation of a terrified person. But that was the only rational explanation.

“I just need a companion. You’re not going to be ill-treated here. But I think you may have the wrong programming,” he said carefully. “I’m sure if we contact the company that sent you, they can fix it.”

“No!” Jacob gazed at him with wide, pleading eyes. “Don’t send me back there!”

“It’s standard procedure for defective clones.”

“I’m not a clone,” Jacob whispered. “I’m not.”

That was strange too. Arthur had never heard of one thinking it was real, though it was always possible. All those sci fi movies he’d seen over the years, so many pointed to it happening. “Look, Jacob, you…”

“I’m Merlin.”

“What?”

“Merlin. My name. Not Jacob. Merlin Emrys. I live in a village just outside Cardiff.”

It had to be the wrong programming. But Jacob… _Merlin_ seemed so convinced, so realistic. So frightened.

“You can look it up,” Merlin added. “Google me.”

Arthur wasn’t sure it was a good idea to humour him, but Merlin was so earnest, so sure. Perhaps it would help. “Come on then,” he said, and led Merlin through to the living room and his laptop. Merlin followed him, looking around, taking it all in.

“This place is huge.”

“Yeah. That’s how I can afford you.” Arthur sat down in front of his laptop and turned it on. “Come on then, what am I looking for?”

Merlin sat on the edge of the sofa, watching him. “Search on my name. Merlin, like the bird, E-M-R-Y-S. There was a boating accident.”

There _was_ a Merlin Emrys. He was 21 and he’d died six months ago. And he looked exactly like the man sitting in Arthur’s living room.

“I died,” Merlin whispered. “And it hurt, and everything stopped and then I woke up and I was like this. We’re not supposed to remember, but I do. I remember who I was. I’m not a clone. They took my body and cleaned it out, got everything working again.”

“Why would… no, you must have his DNA, it must be that.” Arthur turned to face him. “There’s no reason to do something so horrible.”

Merlin sighed. “Money,” he said. “The cloning process is slow and demand is high.”

“But…”

“Undamaged bodies can be reanimated,” Merlin continued. “I drowned, I was useable. I could hear them talking about it when they worked on me. And I’m dead, as you just saw, so I’ve got no rights.”

That was unthinkable. And yet Arthur found himself believing it. He was just grateful their own company had never branched out and started producing a clone line. Though he knew his father had been considering it.

“That’s appalling.”

Merlin nodded rapidly, and Arthur thought he was starting to look less terrified. “Whatever it was they did, it didn’t work. I pretended it did so they stopped trying to fix me, but I’m still in here. I’m still Merlin. I am.” He gazed at Arthur desperately. “Please, don’t send me back. You seem like a decent person, please, please don’t. They’ll kill me.”

Merlin wasn’t going to be any use in the role of decorative partner, Arthur could see that already. He would probably hide in the flat, terrified. Uther wasn’t going to be impressed. Well, Arthur had intended hiding the fact his partner was a clone anyway. Even more reason now.

“We should report them, go to the authorities.”

Merlin shook his head, and Arthur could see the tears welling again.

“They’ll just claim I’m a clone, like you said. A DNA memory. And then they’ll take me back and make me forget. I can’t risk it. Please, whatever you bought me for, I’ll do it, just don’t send me back.”

Arthur wasn’t going to send him anywhere. His heart ached at the sight of a single tear spilling over and running down Merlin’s cheek. So he reached out, tentatively at first, then pulled Merlin into a hug. There was only momentary resistance, and then Merlin was sobbing into his shoulder, clinging on as if he’d never let go. Arthur had never felt so needed in his life. He knew then, whatever the truth was, he wasn’t ever going to give Merlin up.

“Don’t worry,” Arthur whispered, holding him close. “You’re safe now.”

He hoped that was going to be true.

 


End file.
